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Security concerns for cloud computing

Posted: Mon, 04/28/2014 - 07:43

As we’ve said in previous blog posts, cloud computing is the latest trend to emerge in the technology world. It’s not just a buzzword; it has the potential to fundamentally change how businesses operate.

Supporters and sceptics alike have been fighting their corner in the cloud computing debate; depending on the provider there is some merit to the security concerns of the sceptics.

There are plenty of battles for and against cloud computing, and the issue of data security is at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Organisations have an obligation to protect customer data for legal reasons and to operate responsibly, so naturally some companies are a bit apprehensive of that data being stored off-site.

The implication is that data storage in the cloud is less secure than companies running their own server rooms and cloud providers often say the opposite. In fact there is no definitive answer as some organisations will have invested heavily in data security and others may still be identifying areas for improvement.

The importance of established providers

The maturity of the cloud provider also plays a major role in how secure critical data is. Established providers often have more robust security measures in place compared to new cloud providers, as their systems and technologies have evolved with changes in the industry.

Cloud providers with years of experience will have addressed the issue of data sovereignty which has become the most important issue for businesses since the Prism story broke. If your business is based in the UK you’ll want your data protected by UK laws instead of being subject to less stringent security laws of other countries.

Essentially the decision to move to cloud computing should be based on the investment your business has made in data security. If the organisation has a robust, tried and tested security system and can continue to upgrade that infrastructure, it makes sense to utilise that and use cloud platforms for communication, rather than migrate everything to the cloud.